Service-box



R. H. MUELLER.

SERVICE BOX.

APPLICATION HLED MAY11,19|.1.

Patented 001;. 25, 1921.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. H. MUELLER. SERVICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAYII, I9I7- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented 001;. 25, 1921.

i i the. line 5 5 of a citizen of the United Y locality. Y

' Nrrlszn STATES PATENT FMQE'..

ROBERT H. MUELLER, 0F DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ADOLPH MUELLER, TRUSTEE, 0F DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

SERVICE-BOX.

To all whom #may concern.' Y

Be itknown-that I, ROBERT H. MUELLER, States, residin at Decatur, in the county of Macon and tate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Service-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.;

The present invention relates to service boxes which are ordinarily used in connection with stopcocks which controlthe flow ofluids, as water and gas, -:from the mains to the house service pipes, such service -v boxes permitting ready access of a stop cock keyto the cocks for the purpose of opening or closing them. These stop cocks are at various depths in different localities, and it has been. heretofore proposed to make a telescoping service box which could be lengthened to suit the different depths within a wide range, and do away with the necessity of making service boxes in different lengthsto take care of each particular The present invention has to do with tele scoping service boxes of this type, and has foritsobjectto providea simple and economical construction,and one which may be adjusted to various heights, and which when once placed in position :and adjusted willmaintain its position of adjustment during the filling of a trench, and without the necessity of its being held or propped up while the lling is being done.

In orderthatthe inventionmay be clearV to those skilled in the art I have shown in the accompanying drawings embodiments of; my invention, and in said drawings:

Figure' 1 is as ectional view of a service` box embodying my improvements. n

A4Fig..2 is atop view ofthe service box shown in Fig. 1, with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

. Fig..4 is a sectional view o f a service box of aA slightlymodified construction from that shown-inthe preceding views.4

Fig. 5 is aV tiansverse sectional view on i Fig. 6 is a view gsfhowing a slightly modied construction.A

Fig. 7 is a verticall sectional viewof the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6.

.Referring t0 12.1.1? dfavirgbymaebers like Y. Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patented'Oct. 25, 1921.

1917. Serial No. 167,950.

numbers indicating like parts in the several views, 10 indicates the stop cock housing having an internal chamber ofsuliicient size to receive the stop cock, and the said member 10 may be split or arched if desired, as

shown at 11, so as to straddle the stop cock and pipe. The upper part of the said member 10 comprises the tubular section 12 of reduced diameter,.and suitably secured to the section 10, or .it may, if desired, be

formed integral therewith. At its upperend, the section 12 is provided with a head 13, in

the socket of which head the'upper end of the section 12 is seated, the head being chambeied so as to form a seat to receive the upper end of the section 12 and give a smoothV through the section 12 14 so as to firmly lock the partsv together.v

This method of locking the parts together is a very desirable one .for the `reason'that it may be readily accomplished with a minimum of labor and after the parts are brought to assembled condition. The reduced section 12 having telescoped withl the upper section 16, the head 13 will be dropped over the upper end of the section 12 and the locking lugs 15 swaged outwardly in the diametrical slots 14 so as to lock the section 12 and head 13 securely together. It will be seen that since the head 13 is in non-rotatable relation to the upper section 16, that such method of locking the parts together is a very Adesirable and convenient one, since it avoids the necessity of any rotating interlocking movement'ba tween'the head and the lower section and ef fectively locksthe parts against separation longitudinally or rotatably with respect to each other. That construction shown in Fig. 1 in which the-housing 10 iscast, while the telescoping section12 is formed of standard piping and'suitably secured to the housing and the .lockinghead 13, which headV is also cast, isa convenient and advantageous construction inthat by combining the cast housing and the pipe Vsection and the head, as shown, production,v .and assemblingv are very ailikly dan@ and. 'at a mini-mille Cost. the

housing and head being scoping section being cut in appropriate lengths from standard drawn piping.

The head 13 is provided on its exterior with a lug or lugs 15', which, as will presently appear, serve as engaging means in connection with the upper servire box member, presently tobe described, and prevent The reduced section 12 ofthe lower casing vmember engages the aperture' in the head 17 of the upper member 16 with a close sliding fit, the spring 19 being of such internal diameter as that it will grip the section 12 with. suflicient Vfriction to maintain the upper and lower sections in any position of adjustment to which they may be'brought.

The upper section 1'6 is provi'dedwith a groove'orgrooves 20, in whchthe lugs 15 v ber engage and slide freely, these lugs' and 'roovesfpreventing any relative rotation' o' the parts,s'o" thatV theV cover plate`21 with which the" upper section is proofthe lower me videdV may be' screwed or unscrewed without rotating the other partswhen thebox is in position', and thec'applug 22, which is ordinarilyremo'v'ed when access to the stop cock by meansof the stop cock keyis desired, may be'removedior replaced without danger of disturbing the relative position of. the box members.l

It will be observed that with the construc'-.

tion shown the reduced section 12 of the lower member and the upper member 16 of the box Vare adjustable relative to each other by straight right line movement androtary movement of the/parts relative to each other for right line adjustment is done away with. Furthermore, the tween the reduced section 12 of the lower member and the upper'member 16 is such that after a service box has been set, and the filling in is taking place, danger of dirt getting'between the sliding joint between the members' and entering the chamber is eliminated, not only by reason of the friction ring, but alsoby joint is'fo'r'med atthe-lower end of the upper section, and the within the upper member instead of' telescoping' the upper' mem er within' the lower member, ashas in'- someinstances been the cast and the telef there will be ample room for its friction connection be'-y reason of the fact that theV lower member telescopes practice heretofore.. Furthermore when the fill is completed the dirt packs solidly about the box and beneath the lower end of the upper member, so that it is etfectuallyheld against any shifting due to pressure'of'traiiic on the top.

ln the form disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 the construction is somewhat simplified, for in that form 1 have dispensed with'the interlocking head. This form comprises the enlarged cock receiving chamber 23, having, as shown, a reducedsection 24: integrally formed therewith,A which telescopes in the plain vpipev section 25, which pipe sectionY has at its lower end the head26 to receive. the c'on-V tractile friction spring27, .which is 'mounted inY the groove 28 in the head 26, provision being made for proper'expansion of the spring by making the groove 28Aof greater diameterthan the normal diameter Vot the spring. The section 25 is provided at its upper end with any/*suitable cover, as 29.

The construction shown' has the advan-V connection with the forms" tages set forth in heretofore described, and the further advantage that itV may be very cheaplycon'- structed.

1n the form of the invention shown inv Fig.

1 provision is made for'preventing rotation of the upper and lower sections relativetoeach other, while in that type disclosed in Fig. et noI such A rotation of the parts may',

described. and one convenient. manner o taining A this is shownin' Fig. 6, which .is a plan view, i service box.' this form ofthe' invention the. upper member 3Q will Abe' elliptical in cross section, 'andthe" upper part 3 1 of the lower member will be shapedito conform toV the elliptical bore of the upper'member 30 by swaging out'the upper4 end of thelower member, an independent elliptically shaped head.

With tliisconstruction it will be obvious thatV are freey to move be' noV rotation of while the elliptical parts longitudinally, thereA 'can the parts relative to eachother, this elliptical formation.;v It the vbore of the uppermember 30 andthe because of head 31 of the Ilowerinember;`might be formed in'V shapes other Vthan elliptical. in crosssection, and secure action.. Y

Such variationsfrom the embodiments here disclosedas are within the range of mechanical skill 'I' Ad spirit .of my invention, and donot, therefore, limit myself'to their detailswdisclosed, except in soL fai` as I am 'limited by"V the terms ofthe appended claims. I Iclaim: 'i p 1. The combination, in a' service box', of a lower member having an enlargedy housing prmfs'fon isi mane. Relative'k of course, b e"pref vented by means other vthan `those heretp'fore f. at-

'with' the top-cover removed, of a or by securing'thereto, desired,`

is obvious-that Vthis same locking.

emv to be'within thel at its lower end and a reduced section eX- tending therefrom, an upper member of larger diameter than said reduced section, which upper member has an unobstructed interior to permit free longitudinal adjustment of that member relative to said reduced Y section, an annularly grooved head at the lower end of said upper section closely embracing said reduced Section to make a snug joint therewith, a friction ring seated in the annular groove 0f said head to grip said reduced section and maintain the parts in adjusted position, and a-,head carried at the upper end of said reduced section and interlocked with said upperl section against rotation but free to move longitudinally therein.

2. The combination, in a service box, of a lower member having an enlarged cast housing at its lower end, a separate drawn pipe section of reduced diameter secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom, an upper member of larger diameter than said reduced section having longitudinally disposed ribs on its interior telescoping over said reduced section, an annularly grooved head at the lower end of said upper section closely embracing said reduced section to make a snug oint therewith, a friction ring seated in the groove of said head to grip said reduced section and maintain the parts in adjusted position, and a cast head interlocked with the upper end of said reduced section by outwardly swaged lugs engaged with the ribs on the interior of said upper section to lock the parts against rotation but leaving them free for longitudinal move` ment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' p ROBERT H. MUELLER. Witnesses:

E. J. KLEIMEIER, J. W. WELLS. 

